Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter will be remembered with a performance of one of his best known works 'The Caretaker' by young performers at the 2009 Waikato Times Hamilton Gardens Summer Festival.

Pinter, who died in England in December 2008, was considered to be the most influential, imitated and provocative dramatist of his generation. His ambivalent characters who struggle against social forces and language reflected Pinter's political interests, subjecting the plays to immense critical debate. In 2005 Pinter was awarded with the Nobel Prize in Literature for uncovering "the precipice under everyday prattle, and forces entry into oppression's closed rooms".

Director and actor Michael Potts says he is pleased to present a second serving of Pinter to a Hamilton audience. "In 2008 Pinter's 'The Dumbwaiter' was performed as part of the Summer Festival to which it received a tremendous reception. I'm looking forward to exposing more of Pinter's dark minded stories to Hamilton. Pinter is an inspiration to me because he likes his characters to play out those insignificant and meaningless moments in life rather that any phoney grandeur. He was extremely skilled in using his characters to remind us of certain aspects of human behaviour rather than representing a thing; this makes for a more psychologically compelling piece that has the power to directly affect the audience - whether it makes the hairs on the back of your neck rise, or pleasantly befuddles you."

Potts is also interested in inspiring young actors to become more involved in theatre. Upon finishing at Hillcrest High School in 2007, Potts received a drama scholarship for directing another Pinter play 'The Birthday Party'. "A lot of younger actors believe that you have to be part of a professional theatre company to go anywhere. This production of 'The Caretaker' shows that you can do it yourself, and hopefully will encourage actors to undertake stories and themes that challenge the norm."

'The Caretaker' is a reaction to theatrical trends in London in the early sixties and displays many traits of the Theatre of the Absurd. The three-character play follows brothers Aston and Mick, one of whom brings an old tramp to the house for a brief stay. Pinter uses comedy and tragedy to deal with power struggles within the family relationship, and the distance between fantasy and reality.

Date/Time - Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th February 2009, 8pm
Venue - Perfume Garden, Hamilton Gardens
Tickets - Adults $15, Children & Students with ID $10
Tickets available from Ticket Direct. Visit www.ticketdirect.co.nz or phone 0800 224 224. Booking fee may apply.

For more information see www.hamiltongardens.co.nz